Fruit washer



April 19, 1932. J. M. WARNER 1,854, 3 I

FRUIT WASHER Filed June 2, 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 April 19, 1932. J. M. WARNER 7 1,854,433

FRUIT WASHER Filed June 2, 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Apr. 13, 1932 STATES UNETE PATENT FRUIT WASHER Application filed June 2,

My invention relates to fresh fruit treating devices and particularly to such devices in which the fruit is treated by a rotary element and is conveyed to or from such element by a current of liquid.

While my invention is adapted for many uses, the illustrated embodiment of it was especially designed for use in the washing of lemons. The common practice in washing 1O lemons is to soak the lemons first for five or ten minutes and then vigorously scrub them with submerged hair brushes for about fifteen seconds. This treatment has been made I a continuous one by conveying the fruit slowly through a tank of soaking solution by setting up a current in this solution.

Furthermore, the soaking tank has been connected to the hair brush submerging tank of the washer so that the fruit is carried directly into the washer by this current.

It has been the practice to provide a special pump to create this current in the soaking tank. 7

It is an object of my invention to eliminate this pump and the difficulties ordinarily attendant therewith. I

The manner of accomplishing the foregoing objects, as well as further objects and advantages will be made manifest in the following description and in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of a ment of my invention.

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view taken on the line 2-2 of Figure 1.

Fig. 3 is afragmentary enlarged perspective view illustrating the construction of the lemon washer wheel used in the illustrated embodiment of my invention.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary horizontal sectional view, taken on line 44 of Figure 2, looking upward, parts of the structure being broken away for the purpose of illus- 45 l Fig. 5 1s a perspective view illustrating the shelf and collector member of my invention.

Refer ing specifically to the drawings, the illustrated. embodiment of my invention compreferred embodiprises a lemon washer having a tank 11 which isprovided with a floor 12 and walls 1930. Serial No. 458,977.

13. The tank 11 is shaped as shown in Figure 1 to provide a soaking tank 16 and a washer tank 17. To make room for a discharge elevator 18, the washer tank 17 is H provided with an enlarged portion 19. The soaking tank 16 is relatively long and narrow, the walls 13 thereof being designated as side walls 20 and 21 and an'end wall 22.

Supported in a bearing 25 provided on the floor 12, in the center of the washer tank 17, is a vertical shaft 26. which is rotated by means of any suitable mechanism (not shown), and upon which is mounted a brush wheel 27 The wheel 27 has hubs 28 and 29 between which are clamped spoke boards 30 and 31. The wheel 27 also has a rim 34 into which the opposite ends of the board 30 fit so as to form parts thereof. The lower face of the rim 34 is reinforced by annular rings 35 and 36. The spoke board 31 is disposed at right angles to spoke board 30 and its'opposite ends extend beneath and are secured to the rim 34 as clearly shown in Figure 3.

Secured to the bottom of the rim 34, at the ends of the spoke board 30 and midway between adjacent ends of spoke boards 30 and 31. are cleats 37. The cleats 37 and ends of the board 31 constitute impellers 38.

Secured upon the upper face of the rim 34. are a multiplicity of brushes 39 which unite to form a continuous brush surface'onthe up er face of the wheel 27. i The tank 11 is adapted to hold a treating liquid such as a solution of soap in water. The level to which the tank is filled is indicated by the broken line which results in submerging the brush wheel 27. Fruit is adapted to be soaked in the soaking tank 16 and floated in the treating liquid'cnto the brush wheel. 27 so that this fruit is scrubbed by this wheel and transferred to the elevator 18 which removes the fruit from the washer 10.

In order to guide this fruitonto the wheel 27 a wall 46 is provided in continuation of wall 20 which extends up to the wheel 27. Disposed between wall 46 and the adjacent end of the wall 21 is a sloping wall 47 and vertical wall 48 which close the space hetween the soaking tank 16 and the washer tank 17 up to the level of the brushes 39.

Curved guides 54 and 55 co-operate with the sloping wall 47 in guiding the fruit onto the wheel 27.

Supported in a suitable manner above the wheel 27 and along the inner and outer edges of the brushes 39 are semi-annular brush members 56 and 57 which form side walls of a channel 58, the bottom of which is provided by the brushes 39 and along which fruit is carried while it is disposed over the wheel 27 The top of the channel 58 is formed by a series of hinged brushes 60 which are supported in a flexible manner (well known in the art) at the level of the upper edges of the semi-annular walls 56 and 57. The function of the brushes 39, 56, 57 and 60 is to scrub the surface of the fruit as it is carried along the channel 58 by rotation of the wheel 27.

For the purpose of guiding the fruit from the discharge channel 58 onto the conveyer 18, there is provided. a wall 61 which slopes downwardly from the edge of wheel 27 to the conveyor 18, and vertical guides 62 and 63 as shown in Figure 1.

Supported in a suitable manner underneath that portion of the wheel rim 34 which is disposed adjacent to the sloping wall 47 and slightly in advance of this position is a stationary horizontal shelf 70. The shelf 7 0 is postioned as close to impellers 38 as possible and still have clearance when the wheel 27 rotates.

Secured to the shelf at its outer edge is a liquid collector 72 having an arcuate mouth 73 which extends along the outer edge of the shelf 70 in the manner shown in Figure 5. The mouth 73 is formed between upper and lower walls 75 and 76 of the collector 72, these walls being joined by side walls 77 and 78. 'These walls of the collector 72 form an inner chamber 79 which has a discharge neck 80 which connects with a pipe 81. The pipe 81 passes through the vertical wall 48 and terminates at the end of the tank 16 adjacent to the wall 22. Mounted in the neck 80 of the collector 72 is a butterfly valve 82 which is controlled by a shaft 83 having a lever 84 connected thereto so as to ext-end up adjacent to the wall 46 between this wall and the elevator 18. In the drawings this valve is shown in open position, it being closed by swinging the lever 84.

The operation of my invention is as follows:

The washing of fruit in the washer tank is accomplished as before described by rotation of the wheel 27 in the direction of arrows 85 in Figures 1 to 4. The movement of the impellers 38 in the liquid contained in tank 11 forces this liquid radially outward as indicated by the arrows 86. When the impellers 38 come opposite the shelf 70 and the liquid collector 72, the liquid is forced outwardly by these impellers passes between the shelf 70 and the rim 34 into the collector 7 2 and through the pipe 81 to the opposite end of the soaking tank 16 where this liquid is discharged. This results in a steady flow of liquid from that end of the soaking tank, throughout the length of the tank and over the sloping board 47 onto the washing chan nel 58.

In the operation of the washer 10, fruit is dumped into tank 16 adjacent the wall 22 I and is carried by the current flowing through this tank at a slow rate of speed so that the fruit is adequately soaked by the time it is delivered into the channel 58 and scrubbed by the brushes facing on this channel. In order to regulate the speed of fruit that is conveyed through the soaking tank 16, the butterfly valve 82 may be given any desired adjustment by swinging the lever 84.

It is thus seen that I have produced a fresh fruit treating device in which a current of treating liquidfor conveying fruit in said device is set up by pump means embodied in the mechanism submerged in said liquid thus eliminating special pumps formerly used for this purpose.

lVhile I have shown and described but a single embodiment of my invention, it is understood that various changes might be made in this without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. In a fresh fruit washer, the combination of a. soaking tank; a washing tank connected therewith; a body of liquid in said tanks; a rotary washing element provided in said washing tank; an impeller provided upon said element and submerged in said liquid; and means to receive a stream of said liquid from said impeller and conduct this from said washer tank to a far portion of said soaking tank.

2. In a fresh fruit washer, the combination of: a. soaking tank; a washing tank connected therewith, said tanks being adapted to receive a body of liquid; a wheel horizontally disposed in said washing tank and rotatable therein; means cooperating with said wheel to provide a channel through which fruit may be carried in said liquid when said wheel is rotated therein; liquid impeller means provided on said wheel; and means to receive a stream of said liquid from said impeller means and discharge this current of liquid in said soaking tank for conveying fruit therein.

3. In a fresh fruit treating device, the combination of: a tank for containing a body of liquid; a. rotary fruit treating wheel adapted to operate at least partially submerged in said liquid; a pump, submerged in said liquid, certain elements of which are provided on said wheel while others are stationary; and

liquid conducting means associated with said pump and discharging liquid impelled by said pump to set up a current in said body of liquid to convey fruit placed therein for treatment.

4. In a fresh fruit treating device, the com bination of: a tank for containing a body of liquid; a rotary fruit treating wheel adapted to operate at least partially submerged in said liquid; a pump submerged in said liquid and including impeller members provided on the rim of said wheel, and a collector member closely associated with said impeller members; and liquid conducting means associated with said pump and discharging liquid impelled by said pump to set up a current in said body of liquid to convey fruit placed therein for treatment.

5. In a fresh fruit treating device, the combination of: a tank for containing a body of liquid; a horizontal rotary fruit treating wheel adapted to operate at least partially submerged in said liquid; impellers provided upon the under surface of the rim of said wheel; a stationary horizontal shelf disposed beneath and close to said impellers; a collector member extending about a considerable section of said wheel and having a mouth extending vertically from the outer edge of said shelf up to a level adjacent to the rim of said wheel; and means for directing the discharge of liquid from said collector member to set up a current in said liquid to convey fruit placed therein for treatment.

6. In fresh fruit washing device, the combination of: a washing tank; a soaking tank connected therewith, said tanks being adapted to be filled with liquid up to a certain level; a rotary brush wheel disposed horizontally in said washer tank below said level; a fruit guide disposed between said tanks and guiding fruit, passing from said soaking tank into said washing tank, unto said brush wheel; and pump means associated with said wheel and submerged in said liquid in said tanks for pumping liquid from said wash tank into said soaking tank to set up a current which will convey fruit from said soak tank onto said brush wheel. I

7 In a fresh fruit washing device, the combination of: a washing tank; a soaking tank connected therewith, said tanks being adaptfor conveying liquid from said collector into said soaking tank to set up a current which will convey fruit from said soak tank onto said brush wheel.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand at Santa Paula, California, this 27th day of May, 1930.

JOY M. WARNER.

ed to be filled with liquid up to a certain v level; a rotary brush wheel disposed horizontally in said washer tank below said level; a fruit guide disposed between said tanks and guiding fruit, passing from said soaking tank into said washing tank, onto said brush wheel; impellers provided on the rim of said wheel; a collector member extending close to said impellers over a considerable section of said wheel, there being a mouth in said collector disposed close to and radially from the path swept by said impellers; and a conduit 

